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Technically speaking nepotism means family but people generally use the term to mean friends and colleagues. On one hand hiring people you know over people you

Technically speaking nepotism means family but people generally use the term to mean friends and colleagues. On one hand hiring people you know over people you don't know is bad and corrupt. On the other hand it's literally what everyone does because it's the logical, sane, smart decision to make. The #1 way to hire good people for any company is for employees to recommend friends and past co-workers.

bad_user 11y ago
You're missing the point - companies compete in the open market and recommendations may be signals used in the hiring process, but not in evaluating somebody's performance on job. If a hire doesn't work out, usually it parts ways with the company, with the evaluation period being meant to make this painless and it's in a company's best interest to hire the best people, otherwise it's not able to compete. But a public institution is not subject to market forces. A public institution doesn't have to compete, won't go bankrupt, being part of government has tremendous influence on other people's lives and is always financed by other people's taxes. Now that changes the equation quite a lot.
bwohlergo 11y ago
nepotism, noun The practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs. ... i think you're mistaking the original meaning with its definition.
- forrestthewoods 11y ago
  Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepotism https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepotism : the unfair practice by a powerful person of giving jobs and other favors to relatives http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nepotism http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nepotism No, I'm right. Originally it's a familial term. But modern usage includes friends.
Retra 11y ago
>On the other hand it's literally what everyone does because it's the logical, sane, smart decision to make. What you are forgetting to point out is that companies practicing nepotism have found a local efficiency maximum. That, right now, nepotism is the best way to hire the right people. Ideally, there would be better methods to evaluate people, and the value in discovering those methods is quite clear.

bad_user 11y ago

You're missing the point - companies compete in the open market and recommendations may be signals used in the hiring process, but not in evaluating somebody's performance on job. If a hire doesn't work out, usually it parts ways with the company, with the evaluation period being meant to make this painless and it's in a company's best interest to hire the best people, otherwise it's not able to compete. But a public institution is not subject to market forces. A public institution doesn't have to compete, won't go bankrupt, being part of government has tremendous influence on other people's lives and is always financed by other people's taxes. Now that changes the equation quite a lot.

bwohlergo 11y ago

nepotism, noun The practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs. ... i think you're mistaking the original meaning with its definition.

forrestthewoods 11y ago
Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepotism https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepotism : the unfair practice by a powerful person of giving jobs and other favors to relatives http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nepotism http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nepotism No, I'm right. Originally it's a familial term. But modern usage includes friends.

Retra 11y ago

>On the other hand it's literally what everyone does because it's the logical, sane, smart decision to make. What you are forgetting to point out is that companies practicing nepotism have found a local efficiency maximum. That, right now, nepotism is the best way to hire the right people. Ideally, there would be better methods to evaluate people, and the value in discovering those methods is quite clear.